You've been putting it off for a year or more, but after last weekends foray into the yard you
have finally decided you need a new mower. So now you begin the difficult task of choosing a lawn
mower that will make cutting your grass a little easier.
The most important three things you should consider include the size and terrain of your yard, what
features you'll need, and the engine quality. A fourth important factor will be your budget.
Start by figuring out if a walk behind mower will do, or if you need a riding mower. A general rule
of thumb would be if your yard is less than 0.75 acres, a walk behind will do just fine. These are
the most popular mowers. If your yard is flat and small, there won't be much need for extra
features. However if your yard has lots of rough terrain and is over 0.5 acres, look seriously at a
self propelled mower. These mowers essentially do much of the work for you. They more forward on
their own. You simply stand behind the mower and guide it on it's path.
Now you need to look at the mower deck and the engine power. A wider deck means you cut more grass
at one time. The result is fewer trips across the yard. If you add a powerful motor into the mix,
mowing will become even faster and easier. But don't get too caught up in getting more power and a
wider deck then you need. You'll basically be spending more money for nothing if you don't match the
mower with the yard.
The size of the rear wheels is also an important option. Standard wheels are more than adequate in
most cases. However if your yard is rough with lots of slopes and hills, consider large rear wheels
to make mowing easier.
If your yard is over 3/4 of an acre you'll want to think seriously about a riding mower. Once again
the deck size and engine power will need to be considered and the same rules apply. A large engine
and wide deck makes sense if you need to mow several acres. But don't waste money by getting more
than you need.
One of the more popular features on riding lawn mowers is the zero turn radius. If your yard has
lots of landscape features like trees and bushes, then this is a great option to have. Essentially
these mowers let you cut in a complete tight circle, without leaving any uncut space in the middle.
You can see how this would make going around trees much easier. But if you don't have a lot of
landscaping in your yard, then this feature becomes unnecessary. Save your money.
The final big decision you need to make, and this applies to both riding and walk behind mowers, is
if you want the mower to mulch. These mowers have special blades that will chop your grass clipping
into small particles before returning them to the soil. The clipping decompose and act as a natural
fertilizer. If you don't get a mulching mower, then you'll need to catch the clipping in a bag to
throw them out. Or even worse, rake them up, bag them, then dispose of them.
Those are the basics. Other options include both corded and uncorded electric mowers, solar mowers,
and even robotic mowers. But if you answer the basic questions first, then choosing a lawn mower
will become much easier when you visit the dealer or look online.
